


Compagna

by Amacmos



Category: The Godfather (1972 1974 1990)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-24 12:43:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16175315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amacmos/pseuds/Amacmos
Summary: Mary Hagen was always different from the other girls; she didn't mind getting her hands dirty from time to time and she could smile as she shot a man in the face. The Corleones are the only family she remembers, finding and taking her from the foster system when they took in Tom. She became a sister and a daughter, but never a wife. Mary loved the family and they came first, even at her own expense.





	1. Full of Grace

"Hail Mary, full of grace. the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

_Orphan Asylum of Brooklyn, New York City_  
_1928_  
  


She prayed as her mother had always taught her to pray; with her white rosary beads given to her as a gift for her Communion. The only thing she had of her parents and brother. The young girl was all alone. Her parents were dead, her brother disappeared, and here she was in an orphanage. She couldn't decide whether or not she was happy to be there; she loved her mother, but her mother was dead, and her father, though honest, was a drunk. A terribly violent one at that. Poor Tom had taken the brunt of it, protecting her.  _Tom_ _..._ How alone she felt now that her brother had left her. It had been a year since they had been separated; she was eight now and knew that it was pointless to cry. The solace she had was the prayer to Virgin Mary, for whom she was named after.

"Hail Mary, full of grace. the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women and blessed..."

"Mary Hagen?"

She turned around, her blue eyes falling on one of the sisters, followed by a man with dark hair and mustache, dressed in a suit along with one of the men who owned the orphanage. The dark haired man was serious and intimidating, but he looked at her with gentle eyes and a smile. Mary slowly stood, clutching her rosary; she was a thin girl and pale. Her eyes stood out against her face and seemed to be her most prominent feature. Her blonde hair was pinned back in a bun, covered by a kerchief. It seemed as though her shoes and dress were too big for her and her stockings were ripped. Mary's eyes wandered between the three as she addressed the sister in a timid voice.

"Yes?"

The sister gave a reproachful look to the dark-haired man, "This is Mr. Vito Corleone. He has come to adopt you."

Mary looked at this Vito Corleone with confusion, "Why me?"

"Mary! Do not question..."

Vito put his hand up to silence the sister and walked over to Mary, kneeling down to her eye level. She refused to break eye contact, which seemed to make him laugh a bit, "Because someone loves you very much and I know you love him and miss him too."

"T-"

"Shh... Don't say his name. I don't want him taken away. Listen, Mary... We say Maria in Italian... Forgive me if I call you that from time to time. My child, I will be a father to you as my wife will be a mother. You will have four brothers and a sister to love you and I will be sure you will want for nothing. Will you put your trust in me?"

Mary hesitated a bit, her eyes boring into Vito's as if she was trying to search for some sort of lie, "Will you hit me like my father?"

Vito shook his head, "The only time I have ever raised a hand to my children was when they were at their worst behaved. I don't like bringing my children pain... This includes you,  _bambina_."

She thought for a bit longer, pursing her lips, "Okay."

.................................

"Papa!" 

Mary hid behind Vito as the children came out to greet their father. She looked vastly different from when Vito had found her at the orphanage; he had bought her new dresses and new shoes and stockings that fit. Her hair had been taken out of the bun and let down, reaching her waist. She wore a light blue, silk dress with white stockings and white shoes. It was uncomfortable for her, but she didn't want to complain. Vito patted her head and gave her a reassuring smile.

Just as Vito had said, there were four boys and another girl. One of the big boys was her brother, her true brother. Tears came to her eyes as she came out from behind Vito, "Tom?"

Tom's eyes widened in bewilderment, looking at Vito before looking at his sister once more, "Mary?"

Mary ran to her brother, throwing her arms around him, sobbing while Tom hugged her, trying to console her.

Michael, the youngest, went to his father and tugged on his jacket, "Papa, who is that?"

Vito patted him on the head, "Michael, this girl is to be like a sister to you just as Tom is a brother. She is Mary Hagen."


	2. Il Matrimonio non è il mio Futuro

_Corleone Home, 1945_

 

Vito kept his promise to Mary, or Maria as he and Carmela called her. The children called her something different; Connie struggled saying Mary and kept calling her Airy. The name stuck with the older boys sometimes calling her Airy Mary the Airhead due to her habit of staring off into space when deep in thought. She was relatively well-behaved, but it was noticeable early on that dolls and tea weren't meant for her. It bothered the Don a little bit; she would be rough and tumble with the boys when she should have been playing pretend with Connie. But, her manners were impeccable; she never threw fits, she always offered to help others, and she was never, ever rough with Connie. In fact, she and Connie got along famously, but of course, Connie seemed to be the boss. As she got older and she became more womanly, her adoptive parents encouraged her to be more feminine. She had been a bit of a plain child, her only beautiful features were her eyes and heart, but as she neared adulthood, she became a beautiful young woman. She grew into her face, her eyes no longer too big for it. Her skin looked healthy, still pale, but there was a healthy blush about her cheeks. Even her hair had developed a healthy gleam. One would think that she would have finally become a woman, but when the boys learned to shoot in their teens, she insisted that she be taught as well. At first, they refused, but Mary managed to wear them down, convincing them that it was necessary to protect herself. It was a huge insult to Sonny and Fredo when it was Mary who proved to be the better shot. That's when Don Corleone knew that Mary would never be happy as a wife like Connie would be. 

Mary looked and acted like a woman, but she was just as tough as any of his capos. There was much debate and hesitation due to the belief that women ought not to be directly involved in "business", but she was an exception. At eighteen, she was brought into the family business. Her actual job had no name; she was not a capo or anything of the like. Vito didn't want to put her at risk in such a way. Instead, Mary's job was to gather information; act the part of a socialite, but in truth, learn what she could and report back to the family. Over time, her job evolved; she killed her first man at twenty, earning her the nickname 'Sanguinosa Maria' from the manner in which he died. According to the story, she went to embrace the man, only to shoot him at close range in the head. His body fell forward, covering her in blood. From that point on, Mary was sent on the occasional "visit". 

The family knew her to be somewhat reserved, shying away from suitors and going out with friends. More often, she kept to herself; Tom would always hang around Sonny with Fredo following them. Connie had girl friends that she went out with and had sleepovers with. But Mary had Michael, she supposed. Michael was quiet like her and always sought to be the one who would stand out from the rest. He hated the business and he hated Mary's involvement in it, yet he never hated Mary for it. He admired her strength actually. As they got older of course, they drifted away a bit. Michael went to college and then joined the Army while Mary continued to work for the family. They saw each other at holidays and family gatherings. But, Mary always kept her distance from him and pushed him away; Michael wanted to escape his family's world and she wanted to see him do it.

Connie's wedding was to be no exception. Mary was Connie's Maid of Honor and certainly looked the part, much to her chagrin. But, she carried out her duties without complaint, her love for her sister greater than her distaste for the ensemble she was forced to wear. When she had seen that pink dress with the puffy sleeves and the white floppy hat, she had to try her hardest to keep from cringing. She knew Connie was a little princess, but that dress was too much for her. When she had emerged wearing the dress, Sonny and Fredo laughed unabashedly at her while Tom at least tried not to. It was so different from the grays, blues, and blacks she usually wore. Theresa came to her sister-in-law's rescue, chastising the men for teasing her on their sister's wedding day. Mary liked Theresa well enough; she was a good woman, almost too good for her brother. She loved Tom, but was disappointed when she found out he kept a mistress, despite how lovely Theresa was. Seeing how the Corleone boys kept so many women on the side turned her off to marriage altogether; she would rather be celibate for the rest of her life and die a spinster than subject herself to a cheating husband.

She knew Carlo Rizzi would be no different. The thought crossed her as she watched him dance with Connie. She  _did not_ like Carlo and she couldn't put her finger on it. Maybe it was because he had hit on her before dating Connie? There was something in that man's eyes that just made her angry whenever she saw him. She kept communication with him to a minimum, instead silently agreeing with Don Corleone that he was not good enough for her adoptive sister. A few times, men had approached her, asking her for a dance, but she didn't take kindly to her thoughts being interrupted by strangers. Honestly, she didn't take kindly to being disrupted by anyone but Vito and Carmela. Of course, she would always respectfully decline. Weddings  were just overwhelming to her; too many people surrounded her, causing her to withdraw within herself. That is until Michael arrived in his military uniform, looking like some dashing war hero.

"Mare," That was his personal nickname for her. She immediately stood and embraced him, kissing him on the cheek.

"Mikey! It's so good to see you! You gotta help me get out of here! I look like a gumball!"

Michael laughed and kissed her cheek in return, "I was trying not to say anything, Principessa."

Mary heard a throat clear, causing her to look up and meet the eyes of a blonde haired woman. She was pretty and stood out quite a bit; it was clear she wasn't one of their own, based on her mannerisms. It was hard for Mary to be fond of her siblings' significant others, at least initially. There was always this sense of hesitation in trusting them. But, there was a different feeling to go along with this distrust now. Disappointment washed over her when she saw the woman; her being there only meant one thing. Michael released her and placed and arm around the woman, "Kay, this is Mary Hagen... We grew up together after my father brought her and Tom in. She's Tom's sister. Mary, this is Kay Adams."

Kay smiled and offered her hand to shake, "It's a pleasure to meet you. Michael has told me so much about you."

Mary laughed and took her hand, shaking it a bit roughly she realized, "It's not every day Mikey brings a girl by. Sorry to say, he has never talked about you," Her eyes wandered over to Michael, shooting him a bit of a glare, "He's a bit tight lipped about that kind of stuff, I guess. Have you gotten to meet my brother yet?"

Michael laughed uneasily, talking before Kay could answer, "I'll introduce them. You look miserable, Mare."

"It's a wedding and I'm walking cotton candy, what do you expect, Mike?"

Kay seemed to become a bit uneasy, placing a hand on Michael, "Michael ?" 

"Right, let's introduce you to the rest of the family. Mare, I'll see you around," Michael took Kay by the arm and began to escort her away. Kay smiled politely at her.

"It was nice meeting you, Mary."

Mary smiled, but as soon as they disappeared, she sighed and frowned. She sat back down and took a sip of wine, watching the dancing and the frolicking. It was such a happy day, yet the cloud still hung over her head and now that cloud was even darker.

........................

"Michael, how did Mary and Tom come to live with your family?"

The two had sat down at a table to adjust to their surroundings. Michael wanted Kay to be able to take it all in while he was avoiding interacting with his family. He had just explained how he knew Johnny Fontaine and the two sat quietly through his serenading of Connie. The question itself didn't surprise him, but what did surprise him was the slight jealous tone in Kay's voice, "Well, Tom came to live with us first; Sonny ran into some trouble as a kid and Tom helped him out of it. Sonny brought him home and my parents took him in. Mary had been taken to an orphanage after their parents died and he felt guilty that he had left her all alone and was worried for her. Orphanages aren't a really happy place and Tom wanted to find her. Well, my father looked into finding her... Found her in some place in Brooklyn. He called in a favor and was able to get Mary out within a week of finding her."

"Are you two close or did she just stick around Tom?"

Michael looked out on the dance floor, spotting Mary begrudgingly dancing with Clemenza. He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw her face; she looked ready to kill him right there and Clemenza knew it too because Clemenza was laughing uproariously and teasing her as they danced. He turned back to Kay to answer her question, "Well, we were all close.  Sonny and Tom were closer in age, so they spent more time together. Fredo usually chased after them. Mary and Connie were always opposites, but Connie is our little sister; Mary has always obliged her, even with some ridiculous requests. One time, Connie wanted to play salon or something and insisted that she would be the hair stylist. Poor Mary had to cut her hair so short afterwards," he laughed a bit and continued talking, "I suppose Mary was one of my closest friends in the family. She's the quiet sort, but a good listener. She was never as close minded as my brothers."

Kay seemed disappointed by his answer, "So I take it you too are very close?"

Michael laughed, "As close as brother and sister."

"Hey Mike! We're about to take a picture! Get over here!" 

Michael took Kay by the arm and brought her over, having her get in the picture between him and Mary. Kay smiled politely at her, but Mary could tell that the woman wasn't pleased standing next to her. She cleared her throat, "I think I should go stand over by Tom to balance out the hats here."

The photographer nodded and motioned for her to join her brother. Tom seemed to know something was up because when she stood next to him, he turned his head to whisper to her, "Girlfriend has jealousy issues?"

She whispered back, "For now. But she doesn't know us yet. Il matrimonio non è il mio futuro. And I never plan on it being that way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Il Matrimonio non è il mio Futuro = Marriage is not my future.  
> Principessa = Princess  
> Bambina = Girl/Baby girl  
> Sanguinosa Maria = Bloody Mary (or rather, my attempt at translating the name)


	3. Rosso su Bianco

_August 1940_

"There's a young associate who has taken a liking to you, Maria."

"I'm not interested, Papa."

"I need you to pretend to be interested; I'm afraid this young man is trying to pull one over on us. He's been dealing with hold outs from Mariposa's time; they're trying to build up and take some of our territory. I need you to pretend to be unhappy with the family, get him to open up to you."

"Alright. I'll go dancing with him then."

 

_New York City  
_ _Halloween 1940_

The party was in full swing, people dressed in costumes and masks. Mary smiled brightly as her date led her across the dance floor, laughing and chatting with him. Johnny Garrett was a man girls swooned over; he had bright blue eyes, light blond hair, and a movie star smile. But that smile hid his wild side; he was an associate of the Corleone family, doing odd jobs and helping them out here and there. He wasn't Italian, therefore incapable of becoming a soldato. Mary had met him a few times when she had tagged along to the "olive oil plant" in the city and he was noticeably taken with her. He had asked the Don for permission to take her on a date and was shocked when the Don consented. They started dating at the end of August and things seemed to have been going really well with her. Mary had to admit as well, she began to enjoy Johnny's company. On top of that, it seemed as though the Don had taken a liking to him; he even managed to get them into this party. Johnny thought he had a chance yet. However, Mary's mind was telling a whole other story. She was calculating each action she took and was to take. Her plan was to get him out of there soon and go for a walk. Don Corleone had Clemenza waiting with a car, following them wherever they went. This was the night she was to confront Johnny and get the truth out of him, now that he trusted her and was infatuated with her.

"I can't get over how beautiful you look tonight, Mary," he repeated for the umpteenth time that evening. She was wearing a white dress rather than a costume. When questioned on it, she would simply say she was dressed as an angel in disguise. Johnny was dressed as a baseball player. Mary giggled and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Let's get out of here."

The young man didn't hesitate or complain about leaving. Her tone was flirtatious and seemed to imply the need to be alone with him. The two of them gathered their things and set off into the cool October evening. They walked side by side in silence for a bit. Johnny seemed a bit antsy while Mary was completely calm, looking at the store windows. He cleared his throat.

"I've liked you for a really long time, Mary..."

Mary glanced over to him and smiled, "I've had a nice time tonight. I'm sorry, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

This was where it started. She gave a long sigh and looked away again. He stopped and took her by the arm gently, trying to get her to make eye contact with him, "What is it, sweetheart?"

Mary met his eyes and frowned, "It's the family. I can't stand it anymore; I feel so suffocated! Connie and the boys get to do as they please, but I had to beg the Godfather to come out with you tonight! I really like you, Johnny..." 

How the lies came easily. It scared her; Vito and Carmela had taught her to be an honest girl, but here she was now, fabricating the struggle she faced within the family. Yet, her admission to liking him was not a lie; she did care about Johnny. He had never treated her harshly and was always extremely attentive to her. She thought her lie was obvious, but Johnny seemed to play into it.

"Hey, hey, sweetheart... It's okay... I like you too and with me, you won't feel suffocated."

Mary looked up at him with tearful eyes, "What do you mean?"

Johnny looked around before placing an arm around her shoulder and leading her down an alleyway. They weren't too hidden, Mary could still clearly see the street and the area they stood in was still lit. Clemenza was still probably able to see them. Johnny leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss, her first kiss. She was taken aback by it, but did not fight him off. She had a role to play and this was part of the role. His lips moved against hers briefly before pulling away, his cheeks red even in the dark.

"I-I'm sorry, Mary. I couldn't help it."

Mary shook her head and smiled, "I liked it, Johnny... But tell me what you meant before."

The young man hesitated. There was a long silence followed by a drawn out sigh, "You want to leave the family, sweetheart?"

She nodded quickly, "I'm not even Italian; I'm tired of this... This terrible lie!"

Johnny looked down at her, his blue eyes the most serious she had seen them, "Marry me then. I've been dealing with a guy by the name of Caruso. He was a soldato under Mariposa and he's been helping me make a lot of money on the side. I have enough now; I can leave the Corleone family and Caruso... Start making an honest living  _with you_. Mary. We'll run away... Somewhere where the Mob doesn't have power."

Mary heard all she needed to hear, but she wanted to know more. This was, perhaps, her greatest blunder. In a cold voice, she asked, "Why did you betray the family, Johnny?"

He looked surprised at her words and a bit confused, "I thought you wanted to leave the family?"

She frowned, "I want to leave the family, not betray them. I won't have any part in that; the Corleones raised me as one of their own with my brother."

Johnny was silent for a while, mulling over her words. His voice took on an icy tone, "I suppose you're going to tell the Godfather then?"

Mary hesitated. She wished he hadn't admitted to it. With a shaky voice, she answered, "I have to, Johnny. It's family."

He began to laugh and shake his head. Suddenly, Mary was frightened. Where was Clemenza? Johnny took her roughly by the arm and shoved her into the wall, "I'm giving you a chance, sweetheart. Forget them and forget Caruso and run away with me or die right here. Caruso will protect me from the Don."

Mary shook her head, "Caruso won't protect you, Johnny; you're a liability now. He'll have you taken out or stand aside while Don Corleone does it."

"Liar!" 

She couldn't breathe. He had grabbed her by the throat with both of his hands, trying to squeeze the life out of her. Her purse fell to the ground and opened, revealing her handgun, but by luck, he didn't see it. She began to fall to the ground, slowly. He released his grip with a horrified look in his eyes, "I can't do it... Not to you... God, Mary, please! I can't kill you! Just run away with me!"

 When she was sitting, she spotted the gun and grabbed it quickly. Johnny didn't have enough time to react; Mary pulled the trigger, first shooting him in the stomach. He released her neck and stumbled back, touching the blood. Some of it had spattered on Mary. He began walking towards her, reaching out to her with hurt eyes, "Ma-Mary..."

She pulled the trigger again, this time shooting him in the head. His head jerked back, but his body fell forward on top of her. The blood soaked her dress, pooling around them, but she couldn't move. Mary was frozen in shock; she had just killed someone... Johnny of all people... Someone she had truly cared about. She had hoped and prayed that she could somehow reason with him, have him betray whoever he was helping in exchange for protection from the Corleone family. But this side to him was something he had certainly hid from her; who knew when he would eventually lash out at her in the future. But that thought didn't cross her mind at the moment. When she realized that she had killed him, she began crying hysterically, cradling his body. She had no idea what to do. 

Clemenza had heard the gunshots and ran out of the car. The scene he came upon shocked him, but relieved him. He walked over to Mary and Johnny and pulled his corpse off of her, leaving it in the alley. Next, he helped her up, getting blood on himself, "Where's the gun, Mary?"

Mary looked around, her eyes finally landing on the gun. Clemenza bent over and picked it up, slamming it against the wall and began breaking it up. He motioned for her to follow, getting her in the car and driving off, taking a long route back to the Corleone home, dropping pieces of the gun along the way. By the time they had reached the house, Mary had fallen asleep. Tom was called to retrieve his sister and he carried her to the guest room rather than the room she shared with Connie. There she slept into the next day, covered in blood. Sonny remarked that she looked like how he had pictured 'Bloody Mary', the ghost that appeared in mirrors. Nobody laughed, but the name stuck, at least behind her back. No one was allowed to say it to her face let alone mention the story. From that point on, Mary began to hate. She hated Halloween, she hated the name Johnny, and now... She hated herself.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Fanfiction :) Took some liberties of course.  
> Sorry for the short chapter.


End file.
